Archer&#39;s glove



Ma 30, 1961 c. LE ROY LAYER 2,985,885

ARCHER S GLOVE Filed April 1, 1959 8 FIG. 5.

INVEN TOR. CLARENCE LeROY LAYER Attorneys United States Patent ARCHERS GLOVE Clarence LeRoy Layer, Clarendon Hills, 111., asslgnor to American Archery Company Inc., Clarendon Hills, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 803,472

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-161) This invention relates to an archers glove, and more particularly to an improved glove permitting greater comfort to the wearer and resultant greater accuracy in archery during the gloves break-in period.

Archers gloves are often made of relatively thick Cordovan-type leather, and have become increasingly popular in recent years. Such gloves are usually provided with a wrist band and have three finger portions corresponding to the first, middle and ring fingers of the right hand. The glove finger portions have previously included a strip adapted to cover the back of the wearers finger, and a finger sheath on the end of the strip which surrounds the outer end of the wearers finger and receives the bow string during shooting. Gloves of this general type are disclosed in Gardocki Patent 2,740,968 and Love Patent 2,769,179.

Problems have arisen with such gloves in that when the gloves are new the leather tends to be quite stifi. A substantial break-in period is necessary before the leather has softened appreciably. During the break-in period, some archers have experienced discomfort and loss of accuracy in shooting due to the stiffness of the sheaths. As the archers hand engages the bow string to pull it back, the bow string presses against the sheaths, and it has been found that relatively new sheaths will tend to wrinkle transverse to the bow string instead of flattening out beneath it.

The present invention solves the abovementioned problem, and contemplates a novel sheath construction which permits the wearer to have comfort and accuracy the first time the glove is worn.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an archers glove constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the end of one of the glove fingers, showing the sheath;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the finger engaging the bow string;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a second embodiment of the invention.

As shown in the drawings, the archers glove is adapted to be applied to the right hand of the wearer, and comprises a strap 1 adapted to fit around the wrist. Strap 1 may be made adjustable by a suitable buckle 2, and is secured in place on the back of the wrist by a snap 3.

A suitable elastic band 4 is sewed to strap 1 and extends forwardly therefrom to the main body of the glove, which is sewed to the band along its forward edge.

The basic glove body comprises a base portion 5 of suitable leather which extends down the back of the hand and which is split longitudinally into three finger strips 2,985,885 Patented May 30, 1961' 2 6 which protectively cover the first, middle and ring finger of the hand.

As can best be seen in Fig. 2, each strip 6 terminates inwardly from the end of the wearers finger. To pro tect the face of the archers finger from the pressure of the bow string, a sheath 7 is secured to the end of each strip. Each sheath 7 comprises a generally U- shaped longitudinally extending body portion 8 sewed along each longitudinal edge to the end edge portions of the lower surface of the respective finger strip 6. Body portions 8 are relatively flexible and are adapted to receive the archers finger therethrough, so that the first knuckle joint of the finger is disposed generally centrally of the length thereof. Portions 8 have an ,ex-

tension 9 which curves upwardly and rearwardlymoven the wearers finger nail. The end of each extension 9 is overlapped and sewed to the upper end surfaces of the respective strip.

During shooting, the bow string 10 extends transversely of the central portion of the sheath body 8, and, due to the gripping force applied presses the leather thereof inwardly adjacent the wearers first knuckle joint.

In previous gloves, and when the leather thereof was relatively new and stiff, pressure of the bow string tended to form wrinkles in body 8 which extended transverse to string 10 and longitudinally of strips 6 in the vicinity of contact. These wrinkles tended to cause misalignment of the archers hand relative to the bow string, reducing accuracy of control. By the time the sheath leather had become soft through extended use, the undesirable wrinkles had become set in the leather and could not be removed.

To prevent initial formation of the above-described wrinkles, and to permit flattening out af the contacting face of the sheath, the invention provides means to reduce the sheaths mechanical resistance to pressure on the said face. This means is designed to increase the flexibility of the normally stifl leather, and as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, comprises a longitudinally extending slot-like opening 11 formed in the central portion of body 8, adjacent the wearers first knuckle joint, and closely adjacent each edge of strip 6.

The pair of opposed slots '11 are in general alignment and are disposed in a plane passing through and generally parallel bow string 10 and the knuckle joint and extending in the direction of force applied thereby. Since slots 11 are circumferentially spaced a substantial distance from the area of contact with string 10, they do not interfere therewith; nor do they decrease the protection given by the sheath to the wearers finger.

Figure 5 shows another form of the invention which utilizes a pair of circular openings 12 instead of the slots.

It has been found that this weakening of the sheath wall adjacent strip 6 prevents the formation of undesirable wrinkles in the sheath face, and permits formation of a single crease line in the sheath beneath the bow string, with the adjacent sheath surfaces tending to flatten out.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. In an archers glove for use in engaging and holding a bow string, a longitudinally extending finger strip disposed to cover the back of a finger, a sheath secured to the outer end portion of the strip and disposed to surround the finger in the region of the first knuckle and to protect the face of the finger from the pressure of the bow string, said sheath being of initially stifi material presenting a problem of wrinkling under the bow string; and an opening disposed in each side of said sheath in the-central portion of the sheath to increase the flexibility of the sheath in: the region of contact with the bow string. I

2'. The constrn'ction'of claim 1 inwhich said openings are disposed on opposite sides of said' cover strip and away from the portion of saidsheath ada'ptecl'to" engage the bow string;

3. In an ar'chers glove for usein engaging and holding a bow string, a longitudinally extending finger strip' disposed to cover the back of a finger, a sheath secured m the outer end portion of the strip and'disposed to surround the ifing'er in the region of the first knuckle and to protect the face of the finger from the pressure References Cited in the file of this patent of the bow string, said sheath being of initially stiff 15 2 35 542 material presenting a problem of. wrinkling under the bow string, and means' in said sheath to increase the flexibility thereof inthe region of contact with the bow string.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kehoe Nov. 26, Sprague Jan. 11, Brokaw Ian. 6, Vincent .-l-i Feb. 16, Gregory Feb. 26, Manning July 23, Omundson Mar. 10, Patterson July 10, Gardocki Apr. 10, Love Nov. 6, Farmes May 13, Ogg Nov. 4,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 11, 

